So I work at one of the big 4 accounting firms. I left the firm for what I thought was a better opportunity, but the grass is always greener on the other side. After finding out I wasn't happy with my new job the firm contacted me and offered $20k if I would come back. But there were reasons I left in the first place so I had conditions to make sure it wouldn't be a repeat of the miserable experience of working for a big 4.
- I wanted to come back as a manager, which was a level above the position I had when I left. 2. I wanted tuition reimbursement for a relevant degree. 3. I would only come back if I got the Denver market which was hot with crypto clients. They agreed.
The results?
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They decided I couldn't come back above my position because “it would be unfair to those who started at the same time I did”. It was bullshit but they promised to promote me during early promotion two months later. What they didn't tell me was that they had no control over that whatsoever. It's an independent committee that reviews proposed candidates for early promotion, and after seeing I'd only been back two months they decided I wasn't eligible.
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To get tuition reimbursement I would have had to work there for 3 years. I was three months shy of that, so I wouldn't be able to start the program until fall 2023. No one bothered to check if I was eligible before hiring me back.
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They put me on a client 'temporarily' because they had an immediate need. Ten months later I was still on the same project bored out of my mind doing mundane and menial tasks. The type of client work they had me do also contributed to my inelligibility for early promotion. When I protested, I was told by the partner that “life isn't fair”.
My story isn't unique. The big 4 accounting firms are all alike. They told us in school it was the only way to succeed. Trying to get through recruiting was insanely competitive. The truth is that it's all a big lie. They call it the 'up and out model' but what that really means is everyone is considered expendable because there are always other college grads begging to be hired. I don't know how they've managed to cover up these immoral practices, but hopefully someone reads this and decides to avoid the hell hole that is a big 4 firm.